Edge-forming mechanism for can-body blanks.



G. W. GRAHAM.

EDGE FORMING MECHANISM FOR CAN BODY BLANKS.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1910. 1,055,973. Patented Mar. 11,1913.

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ATTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cO..\v/1SH1Na'roN. D c.

G. W. GRAHAM.

EDGE FORMING MECHANISM FOR CAN BODY BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JAILZB, 1910.

' Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

5 sums-81mm 2.

WITNESSES.

G. W. GRAHAM.

EDGE FORMING MECHANISM FOR CAN BODY BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1910.

. Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fig. 3-

WITNESS/58: W ENTOR, I i I I y M A I I ATTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH60-,WASHINGTON. D. c,

0. W. GRAHAM.

EDGE FORMING MECHANISM FOR CAN BODY BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1910. 1,055,973, Patented Mar. 11,1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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COLUMBIA PLANO'GRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D, c:

C. W. GRAHAM.

EDGE FORMING MECHANISM FOR CAN BODY BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1910.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

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rrllllllJ l I 1 l I WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. c.

CHARLES W. GRAHAM, OF HOME, NEW YORK.

EDGE-FORMING MECHANISM FOR CAN-BODY BLANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 28, 1910.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

Serial No. 540,566.

To all who 11bit may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES 1V. GRAHAM, residing at Rome, in the countyof Oneida, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Edge- Forming Mechanism for Can-Body Blanks, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to means for working sheet metal and moreparticularly to means for treating blanks which are to be formed intocan bodies.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide new and improved means.for forming hooks or flanges upon the opposite sides of asuitablyformed blank of tin, or like material.

Another object is to provide means ofthe above character which will edgea blank for can bodies so that the hooks will be of uniform size andshape.

Another object is to provide edging mechanism wherein friction andvibration of moving parts are substantially eliminated, thus minimizingwear and noise of operation.

Another object is to provide edging mechanism which will be compact, offew operative parts, thus minimizing the space occupied by thismechanism in a can body forming machine.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide abending means whose initial movement is substantially normal to thesurface of the blank, and which after engagement with said blank followsthe edge thereof about the edge forming member, the construction beingsuch that there is no scraping action between the surface of the tin andthe edge forming means.

Other objects and aims, more or less broad than those stated above, willbe in part obvious and in part specifically ad-.

verted to in the course of the following detailed description, in whichthe elements, combinations, and arrangements of parts constituting theinvention are set forth; and

the scope of the application thereof will be the edging mechanism. Fig.3 is a top plan view of said machine, showing the position of the edgeforming mechanisms relative to the horn. Fig. 4; is a vertical,sectional view taken through the housing of the edging mechanismshowing, partly in section and partly in'elevation, the edging mechanismupon the left hand side of the machine. Fig. 5 is a similar view showingthe edging mechanism employed upon the right hand side of the machine.Fig. (Sis a view in elevation of the edging mechanism, with the parts ina position different from that shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a similarview, with the parts in different position from that shown in Fig. 5;and Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of one of the edging devices.

Similar refernce characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated a machine embodyingthe above and other features of my invention, there is shown a framecomprising broadly a base 1 upon which are erected various standardswhich support the driving shafts and other operative parts of a can bodymaking machine, said standards being preferably formed integral with thebase portion, as.

shown.

The various operative parts of the machine are driven from the maindrive shaft 2, which extends transversely of the machine near thecentral portion thereof and is journaled in bearings on the frame. Driveshaft 2 is provided eXteriorly of the machine with the pulley 5, whichmay be driven from any suitable source of power. This shaft is providedwith a worm wheel 6 which meshes with the worm wheel 7 loosely mountedupon a main operating shaft 8, said worm wheel 7 having a clutch face 11thereon formed integrally with the worm and adapted to cooperate with acorresponding clutch member 10 slidable upon a suitably formed portion12 of the shaft 8. Shaft 8 drives, as by means of the bevel gears 13 and14:, an upright shaft 15 ournaled in a standard 16, and from this shaftis driven the mechanism 17 employed to feed the blanks through themachine. This mechanism will not bespecifically described herein sinceit forms a part of my application entitled can body forming mechanism,filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 540,569. The opposite end ofshaft 8 operates, by means of eccentrics 18 and 20 and various connectedparts, the jaws 21 and 22 which are employed to bend the edged blanksabout the horn 23 which bears against a yoke 24 located centrally of themachine. Shaft 8 also drives, as by means of the link 25 and crank 26,the bumping mechanism 27 employed to jam the interlocked flangedportions of the can body against the horn 23. Mechanism denoted by 28mounted upon the top portion of the machine is adapted to maintain theblanks fiatwise against the bed 30.

The various operative parts of the machine with the exception of thedriving shaft 2 and the operating shaft 8 form no part of the presentinvention but are referred to generally in order that the con structionand operation of the edging mechanism and its relation to the otherblank treating mechanisms may be more readily understood.

A counter shaft 31 is suitably journaled v in brackets 32 carried bystandard 8, and

this shaft is provided with a spiral gear 33 which meshes with thespiral gear 34 upon the shaft 8 and is driven thereby. Counter shaft 81drives, as by means of the sprocket 35 and chain 36 which runs upon thesprocket 37, a second counter shaft 38, the latter operating by means ofthe eccentric 40 and rod 41, mechanism for notching the blanks, saidmechanism not being shown herein since it constitutes no part of mypresent invention.

Located upon counter shaft 31 adjacent the ends thereof are oppositelydisposed eccentrics 42 and 43, and connected with sleeves 44 and 45mounted upon said eccentrics by means of pivot-s 4G and 47 arevertically disposed rods 48 and 49 which operate edging mechanism now tobe particularly described.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive, 5O denotes a box or housingwhich rests upon ways 51 and 52 which extend transversely of the machineand are suitably supportetd in the side walls thereof. 1V ay 51 isprovided with a rack 53 which meshes a pinion 54 carried upon the shaft55 journaled in the lower portion of the housing and extendingtransversely thereof, said shaft being provided with a squared end 56adapted to receive a wrench or other turning instrument. The purpose ofthis rack and pinion construction is to enable the housing to beconveniently adjusted laterally of the machine, as when it is desired tooperate upon blanks of different dimensions. Fixedly carried upon thehousing 50 is a plate or clamping member 57, the lower end of which isprovided with a blank engaging member or jaw 58, and cotiperating withthe clamping member 57 and arranged in opposed relation thereto is amovable clamping member 60, the same being carried upon arms 61 and 62.These arms are pivot-ally supported at 63 and 64 upon the housing 50 andstraddle the vertically disposed rod 49. Clamping member 60 is providedwith a jaw 65 which cooperates with the jaw 58 carried by the clampingmember 54 to clamp and hold a blank adjacent an edge thereof as shown inFig. 6 of the drawings. The swinging clamping member (30 is actuated bymechanism which will now be described: 67 denotes a link which isjournaled upon the shaft 55, said link at its upper end being bifurcatedto receive the end of the second link 68, which is pivoted thereto. Link(38 at its opposite end is bifurcated to straddle the verticallydisposed rod 49, and is journaled upon laterally extending studs 70provided upon the bracket or collar. 71 fixed upon rod 49. Link 67 isprovided at its upper end with laterally extending ears or studs 72,upon which are journaled rollers 73. Resting on rollers 73 is a block 74which is located in a. slot 75 extending transversely of the clampingmember (30. Springs 7 6, located in pockets 77 formed in the clampingmember (30, and interposed between the same and block 74, form aresilient support for the clamping member upon the rollers 73. Screws 78extending loosely through block 74 and threaded into the clamping member60 retain said block 74 within its slot. Link 67 is inclined inwardly,as shown, so that when rod 49 is moved downwardly the link will be movedtoward a vertical position, which movement will operate to swing theclamping member 60 upward and cause it to cooperate with the fixedclamping member 57 to clamp and hold the interposed blank. Mounted uponthe pivot 80 supported in cars 81 formed upon a casting 82, fixedlysecured upon the vertical rod 49, is a carrier 83 for the edging blade84, said blade extending transversely of the carrier, and locatedadjacent the clamping jaw 57 within the housing. Cam members 85 fixedupon the sides of the housing are traversed by rollers 86 carried uponthe pivot pin 87, which extends transversely of the carrier 88. Therollers are maintained in engagement with the surfaces of cams 85 bymeans of plungers 88 which engage tail pieces 90 of carrier 83. Plungers88 are urged to operative movement by means of extensilc springs 91,suitably housed in boxes 92 formed in casting 82. The various parts areso positioned that when the rod 49 is moved downwardly the jaws of theclamping members 57 and G0 engage and hold the blank just prior to theengagement of the bending blade 84 therewith. This blade, when the rod48 is moved downwardly, first moves in a straight line, normal to thesurface of the exposed edge I of the blank. hen, however, the bendingblade 84 engages the blank and the rollers 86 reach the abruptly curvedportions 93 of the cams 85, the further. movement of the rod 49 and thetraversing of rollers 86 upon said cams cause the bending blade topartake of a compound movement, whereby it follows substantially thecontour of the edge forming portion of the jaw 65, bending the edgeportion of the blank thereabout.

The above description is directed to the mechanism for fianging one edgeof the blank. The mechanism for fl'anging the opposite edge thereof,which is of a similar character, will now be described.

A housing 94, similar to housing 50, but located upon the opposite sideofthe machine upon the ways 51 and 52, is similarly adjustedtransversely of the machine as by means of the pinion 95, which engagesthe rack 53 of way 51. Links 96 and 97, pivotally connected,respectively to the shaft 98 and the bracket 100 upon the verticallydisposed rod 48 at 101, and pivotally connected together as at 102,carry the rollers 103 upon which rests the block 104. This block ispositioned in the longitudinally extending slot 105 of the swingingclamping member 106; springs being interposed between the block and theclamping member, as in the above described construction. Clamping member106 is pivotally supported, as at 107, upon inwardly extending studsupon the housing 94, and is provided at its upper end with the jaw 108.

110 indicates a fixed clamping member carried by the housing 94, andthis clamping member carries the jaw 111, which is provided with thetapered edge portion 112 which slopes inwardly and upwardly. This partconstitutes the forming member for the flanged portion of the blank, andcorresponds to the portion 66 of the other edging means.

The carrier 113 for the edging blade 114 is pivotally mounted. at 115upon ears of a casting 116 fixedly secured to the rod 48, and hasrollers 117 which traverse the paths of cams, one of which is shown at118 in Fig. 5, said cam being mounted upon the housing 94. The rollers117 of the carrier 113 are maintained in engagement with the cam pathsby means of the plungers 120, which engagewith tail pieces 121 of thecarrier, said plungers being forced outwardly by means of extensilesprings suitably housed in the casting 116. WVhen rod 48 moves upwardlythe edging blade is first moved in a corresponding direction along aright line normal to the edge of the blank, until it engages the same,at which point the rollers 117 engage with the abruptly curved portion122 of the cam path, where upon the edging blade moves in a compoundcurve to bend the edge portion of the blank about the edge formingportion of the aw,

as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, and in a manner similar to thatalready described in connection with the first described edgingmechanism.

Having thus described the construction of this embodiment of myinvention the operawherein the opposed edging mechanisms are shown intheir proper relation, in so far as their vertical positions areconcerned, the simultaneous upward and downward movements of rods 48 and49 will, through the links 67, 68, and 96, 97, respectively, swing theclamping members 60 and 106 upward, whereby the blank will be firmlyclamped and held adjacent the edge portions thereof. It will be notedthat during the upward swinging movements ofthe clamping members 60 and106 they are moved outwardly, and that such swinging movement tends totake out any slack there may be in the clamped blank and stretch it tautbetween the opposed edging devices. The opposed clamping jaws are sopositioned as to permit lateral edges of the blank to project slightlybeyond the same and into the path of travel of blades 84 and 114.Substantially simultaneously with the closing of the clamping jaws uponthe blank, the blades 84 and 114, moving in opposite directions, strikethe projecting portions of the blank and bend them into the positionsshown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, as has been previouslyexplained. Movements of the rods 48 and 49 in the opposite directionwill return the edging members to the positions shown in Figs; 4 and 5,which permits the edged blank to be fed forward so that the succeedingblank may be brought into operative position. The above cycle ofoperations is then repeated, the blades 84 and 114 operating to edge thesucceeding blanks in the manner above described. The driving parts forthe edging mechanism are so proportioned as to feed into and dischargeone blank from the edging mechanism during each revolution of the shaft.

It will thus be seen that I have provided simple and efficient edgingmechanism, which, while simple, is of the most substantial construction,the operative parts of the mechanism for each side of the machine beingcompactly arranged in a single hous- As many changes could be made inthe above construction, and many apparently widely difierent embodimentsof this invention could be made without departing from the scopethereof, it is intended that all the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also tobe understood that the language used in the following claims is intendedto cover all of the generic and specific features of the inventionherein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, whichas a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

It will be understood that when the housings 50 and 9a are adjustedlaterally for operation upon blanks of a different size, correspondingadjustments are made of the eccentrics 42 and 43 on their shaft 31.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an edging mechanism, in combination, a pair of members adapted toclamp and hold a blank adjacent an edge thereof, a movably mountedbending member, means for moving said bending member into en gagementwith the edge portion of the blank, a fixed cam which cooperates withsaid bending member to cause the latter to bend the edge of the blankabout a portion of one of said clamping members, rotary means upon thebending member for traversing said cam, and means for maintaining saidrotary means in engagement with the cam.

2. In an edging mechanism, in combination, a pair of members adapted toclamp and hold a blank adjacent an edge thereof, a movably mountedbending member, means for moving said bending member into engagementwith the edge portion of the blank, a fixed cam which cooperates withsaid bending member to cause the latter to bend the edge of the blankabout a portion of one of said clamping members, rotary means upon thebending member for traversing said cam, and spring means carried by thesupport of said bending member for maintaining said rotary means inengagement- -with the cam.

3. In an edging mechanism, in combination, a housing, a clamping membermounted thereon, a movable clamping member pivotally supported upon saidhousing, said clamping members being adapted to clamp and hold a blankadjacent an edge thereof, a rod slidably mounted in said housing, abending member pivotally supported upon said rod, a cam carried by thehousing, and a roller upon said bending member adapted to traverse saidcam when said rod is moved to carry the bending member into engagementwith the exposed edge portion of the blank.

4. In an edging mechanism, in combination, a housing, a clamping memberfixedly supported thereon, a clamping member pivotally mounted thereon,said clamping members being adapted to clamp and hold a blank adjacentan edge thereof, a rod slidably mounted in said housing, a suitablydriven eccentric for reciprocating said rod, a bending member pivotallymounted on said rod, cams carried by the housing, rollers carried uponsaid bending member adapted to traverse said cams, and means connectedwith said housing for elevating said pivotally mounted clamping memberwhen said rod is moved in such a direction as will cause the bendingmember to engage with the exposed edge portion of the blank.

5. In an edging mechanism, in combination, a pair of housings, a fixedclamping member carried by each of said housings, a movable clampingmember pivotally mounted upon each of said housings, said clampingmembers being adapted to clamp and hold a blank adjacent its oppositeedges, a rod slidably mounted in each of said housings, a bending memberpivotally mounted on each of said rods, fixed cams and in ans forsimultaneously moving said rods in opposite directions whereby saidbending members will strike and bend the opposite projecting edges ofsaid blank in corresponding directions and means connected with saidoppositely moving rods for imparting to said movable clamping membersclamping movements simultaneously in the same direction.

6. In an edging mechanism, in combination, two pairs of clampingmembers, each of which is adapted to clamp and hold a blank adjacent anedge portion thereof, a pair of bending members, a pair of suitablyguided rods each of which supports one of said bending members,eccentric means for reciprocating said rods in opposite directions,whereby said bending members are caused simultaneously to strike andbend the projecting edges of said blank in opposite directions, cammeans cooperating with said bending members during the bending op=eration, and means carried by said rods for operating said clampingmembers simultaneously in the same direction.

7. In an edging mechanism, the combination with a pair of fixed clampmembers, of a pair of movable clamp members both movable simultaneouslyin the same direction toward the fixed clamp members, a pair of bodilymovable edge folder members moving simultaneously in opposite directionstransversely of the blank past said fixed clamp members, a pair ofreciprocating rods moving simultaneously in opposite direc tions forimparting to said edge folder members their bodily movements and a pairof fixed cams for imparting to said edge folder members movementsinwardly toward each other as they are bodily moved by saidreciprocating rods, substantially as specified.

8. In an edge folding mechanism, the combination with a supportingmember upon which the blank rests at its middle portion, a pair of upperfixed clamp members under which the blank passes, a pair of lowermovable clamp members and a pair of edge folders, substantially asspecified.

9. In an edge folding mechanism, the combination with a supportingmember upon which the blank rests at itsmiddle portion, a pair of upperfixed clamp members under which the blank passes, a pair of lowermovable clamp members and a pair of bodily movable edge folders, a pairof reciprocating rods moving simultaneously in opposite directions forimparting to said edge folders their-bodily movements, a pair of fixedcams for moving the edge folders inward toward each other as they arebodily reciprocated by said rods, substantially as specified.

10. In an edge folding mechanism, the combination with a supportingmember upon which the blank rests at its middle portion, a pair of upperfixed clamp members under which the blank passes, a pair of lowermovable clamp members and a pair of bodily movable edge folders, a pairof reciprocating rods moving simultaneously in opposite directions forimparting to said edge folders their bodily movements, a pair of fixedcams for moving the edge folders inward toward each other as they arebodily reciprocated by said rods, and means connected to said oppositelymoving rods for simultaneously moving said movable clamp members in thesame direction to clamp the blank against the fixed clamp members,substantially as specified.

11. In an edging mechanism, the combination with a fixed support uponwhich the blank rests at its middle portion, of an upper fixed clampmember, a lower movable clamp member, an operating rod reciprocatingtransversely to the plane of the blank, a bodily movable and inwardlyswinging edge folder member pivotally connected to said operating rodand a fixed cam for imparting to said edge folder member its inwardswinging movement as it is bodily reciprocated by said r d,substantially as specified.

12. In an edging mechanism, the combination with a fixed support uponwhich the blank rests at its middle portion, of an upper fixed clampmember, a lower movable clamp member, an operating rod rec1proeatingtransversely to the plane of the blank, a bodily movable and inwardlyswinging edge folder member pivotally connected to said operating rodand a fixed cam for imparting to said edge folder member its inwardswinging movement as it is bodily reciprocated by said rod, andconnecting means for imparting to said lower movable clamp member anupward clamping movement from said operating rod simultaneously with thedownward bodily movement of said edge folder member, substantially asspecified.

1.3. In an edging mechanism, in combination, means adapted 'to clamp andhold a blank adjacent the opposite edges thereof, and a cam controlledmember mounted adjacent each of said clamping members and provided witha blade adapted to strike and bend the opposite projecting edges of saidblank simultaneously in opposite directions.

1 1. In an edging mechanism, in combination, two pairs of opposedmembers adapted to clamp and hold a blank adjacent its edges, and abodily movable pivotally mounted cam controlled edge folder bladelocated adjacent .each pair of clamping members adapted to strike andbend the projecting edge of the blank, and fixed cams for imparting tosaid edge folder blades inward movements toward each other as they arebodily moved, substantially as specified.

15. In an edging mechanism, the combina tion of edge folders, movabledevices for operating said folders, blank clamping means, said meanscomprising stationary and movable members and means pivotally connectedto the movable edge folder operating devices and to a stationary portionof the frame adapted to operate the clamping means, substantially asspecified.

16. In an edging mechanism, the combination of edge folders, oppositelymovable members for operating said folders, blank clamping means, eachcomprising a station ary and a movable member and means pivotallyconnected to each of the folder operating members and to a stationaryportion of the frame and adapted tooperate the movable member of theclamping means.

17. In an edging mechanism, the combination of edge folders, movabledevices for operating said edge folders, blank clamping means, saidmeans comprising stationary and movable members, a link pivotallyconnected to the movable edge folder operating devices and a second linkpivotally connected to the first named link and to a stationary portionof the frame and adapted to operate the clamping means.

18. In an edging mechanism, the combination of edge folders, oppositelymovable members for operating the folders, blank clamping means eachcomprising a stationary and a movable member, a link pivotally connectedto each of the movable edge folder operating devices, a second linkpivotally connected to each of the first named links and to a stationaryportion of the frame and adapted to operate the clamping means.

19. In an edging mechanism, the combination of edge folders, oppositelymovable members for operating the folders, blank clamping means eachcomprising a stationary and a movable member, means pivotally connectedto each of the folder operating members and to a stationary portion ofthe frame and adapted to operate the movable member of the clampingmeans and a resiliently mounted member interposed between each movableclamping member and the pivotally mounted clamping member operatingmeans.

20. In an edging mechanism, the combination of clamping members, amovable edging blade, a fixed cam for determining the path of the blade,said blade being spring controlled to cause it'to follow the contourofthe cam, substantially as specified.

21. In an edging mechanism, the combination of blank clamping members,an edging blade, bodily movable and pivotally mounted, a fixed cam fordetermining the pathof the blade, said blade being spring controlled tocause it to follow the contour of the cam.

22. In an edging mechanism, the combination of blank clamping devicesand reciprocating operating members, said members each carrying a springcontrolled edge folder and having pivoted thereto one end of a linkmotion for operating the clamping devices, substantially as specified.

23. In an edging mechanism, the combination of a pair of oppositelydisposed blank edging and clamping devices, movable toward and from eachother, means for adjusting said devices bodily, said devices eachcomprising clamping members and an edging blade pivotally mounted on areciprocating operating member, the pivotal point being fixed withregard to the operating member, and clamp operating means pivotallyconnected to the operating member, substantially as specified.

24. In an edging mechanism, the combination of edge folders,reciprocating rods 1 for operating said folders, blank clamping devices,,each comprising a stationary element and a movable element and a memberpivotally connected to each of said rods and adapted to operate themovable element of each clamp.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

CHARLES \V. GRAHAM.

WVitnesses B. W. CoULDocK, FRANK J. KENT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

